Running-gear for motor-vehicles.



H. E. WRAY.

RUNNING GEAR POR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLIUATION FILED `JUNE 4. 1909.

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Patented Aug. 16,-1910.

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H. E. WRAY.

EUNNING GEAR EOE yMOTOR VEHICLES;

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 4, 1909.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

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H. E. WRAY. RUNNING GEAR FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICIATION FILED 'JUNE 4. 1909.

Patented Allg. 16, 1910.

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l Specification of Letters atent.

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.To all whom it may corwern.

Beit known that l, HORACE F. Wirtin a citizen ofI the United ltates7residing at Ukiah, in the county of 'Mendocino and .State of California,have invented certain new and useful improvements in Running- Gear forMotordehicles, of which. thefol- `lowing is a specication.

The present invention comprehends cer? tain new and useful improvementsin inotor vehlcles, relating more particularly to the .running gearthereof, and the object of the invention i an improved radius rod whichextends between the drive shaft on the axle yand the power shaft on thevehicle body and which serves to maintain the shafts at a constantdistance apart in order to prevent any interference with thetransmission earing between said shafts upon the yielding .movement ofthe vehicle frame relative to the axle.

A further object of the invention is a ra dius rod which'is bifurcatedat one end and has the bifurcations mounted on a bearing` sleeve carriedby the upturned .end of theaale, the bifurcations being disposed onopposite sides vof the upturned axle end 'so as to brace the parts and:materiallyT increase the strength ofthe structure. v

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, referenceisV to be had to the following description andaccompanying drawings, inw 1c Figure l is a top plan View, with parts in section, of `a vehiclerunning gear embodying the improvements of my invention Fig. 2 isa'transverse vertical section illustrating the connection between one ofthe vehicle wheels'and the axle; Fig. 3 isa horizontal to in thefollowing. description. and indicated in all the views of the drawingsby the,

same reference characters.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates the vehicle francewhich is of general vrect-angular form and which is yieldlngly supportedon front and rear axles 2 byV ineans of interposed springs 3. The axlesare substantially yoke-like and embrace the frame, so as not tointerfere with the' free `action of the springs. .Flach of the upturnedends /l of the axles carries at its upper enda horizontal'bearing sleeve5 that extends laterally on both sides thereof and is formed at itsouter end with vertically spaced pivot arms 6. These pivot arms arepreferably bifurcated to interlock with the respective pivot arnis 'i'carried at the inner end of a hollow spindle d. `Finy tles 9 are passedthrough the corresponding pivot arms to establish a hinge connectionbetween the bearing sleeve and the spindle and admit of the latterturning about a substantially vertical axis to effect the swingingmovement of the wheel l0 mounted thereon, to steer thevehicle.

construction or design and has its-hub'll p The vehicle wheel may be ofany desired lor approwedV preferably mounted on the spindle with ballor"`like anti-friction bearings 12. In the present instance this wheelis gdished as will be observed by reference to Fig. 2,

and the spindle 8 is supported in a slightl inclined positiontoga-compensate for the dis of 'the wheel and maintain the lower por.-tion thereof at right angles to the ground. Journaled respectively inthe bearing sleeve 5 and the hollow spindle 8 are two short drive shafts13 and lll that are united vdisk and hub have' an interlockingconnection, as best illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, the disk being formedwith aphn'ality of outstanding plrojections orakeys 17 which correspondwit and are seatedin recesses 18 prol vided in the adjacent end of` thehub. .A ca

19. is arran ed to' screw on threads 20 forme on the periphery of thehub,'to inclose the disk 15 and. protect the parts from dirt, lnoistureand. the like. i

The drive shaft 13 projects inwardly beyond the bearing sleeve andcarries a drive4 wheel- 21 which, for iconvenience, has its toothedperiphery detachably secured thereto by bolts or other suitablefastening elements. '.lhis drive `wheel is designed for operativeconnection with a gear wheel 23 spectively with the wheels 21 and 23.The

countershaft is journaled on a radius. rod 29 which is bifurcated at oneend with the bifurcations 30 rotatably mounted on the i bearing sleeve 5on opposite sides of the up- .secured to the end 'turned axle 4 (seeF1g.2). t its other end the radius rod is rotatably mounted on anoutstanding cylindrical 'portion of thel bearing 25. By virtue of thisconstruction the pinions 28 are retained in engagement with the wheels21 and 23 lduring the operation of the vehicle springs 3, while the axle2 is further secured to the frame l. and the structure as a whole isbraced. I

There are two transverse shafts 2a each of which is' connected with therespective wheels of the adjacent axle, the connection between each ofthe vehicle wheels and the `corresponding shaft 2t being substantiallythe same, and hence onlyone of these connections has been specificallydescribed.

The transverse shafts 2dare both driveny from a longitudinal shaft 32which is operatively connected to the motor 33 of the vehicle, the shaft32 andv the shafts 2a being provided with compensating gearing Sainorder to admit of the wheels turning at different speeds when roundingarcurve.

ln practice it has been found desirable to .edect the verticaladjustment of the spindles 8 in order to regulate the angulardisposition .of the Wheels lOlto the surface of the road., 'lhis objectis attained by forming one or the pivot arms 7 of each spindle,preferably the upper arm, with s recess 35 that leads from one endthereof. Slidingly fitted in this .recess is 'a bearing block 'which isconstructed in 'two duplicate sections 36 arranged toencircle the.pintle 9. The bearing block is retained in position in the recess by.means of a plate 37 detachably of the pivot arm by bolts, screws orlike means.'7 'Washers 38 or their' equivalents `are interposed betweenthe bea'rin block and the end wall of the recess and t e bearing blockand the plate 37 to maintain the block in adjusted position in therecess. By inserting or removin these washers the spindle 8 may bevertica 1yl adjusted so as to assume a horizontal or diiierent inclinedpositions.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, it will. be apparent that I have provided an improved runninggear for motor vehicles which is particularly eliicient `and admits ,ofpower being applied to all of the wheels of the vehicle withoutinterfering with the movement thereof .for 4 steering purposes;

which includes animproved connection between the axle andthe spindle torender the latter capable of vertica embodies to a\ marked degree thecharacteristics of simplicity, durability and strength; and whichconsists of comparatively few parts that are not likely to get out oforder. Fig. 7, illustrates a modified form of the invention ywherein thecountershafts 27 are dispensed with and a drive chain 39 utilized foroperatively connecting the wheels 21 and 23E. The radius rod 29a isemployedin this form however, to maintain the drive chain taut duringthe operation of the springs 3.

ln a still further embodiment of the invention the wheels, 21b and 23h,mesh, as illustrated in F ig. 8, the radius rod 29b being employed toprevent the gear wheels from becoming disengaged during the operation ofthe vehicle sprm The radius rod 29 is preferably double upon itself atan inter-l mediate point, as indicated at d0, in order to embrace thewheel 231.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination of an axle havin an up-turned end, a bearing sleevecarried b the up-turned end and extendin on bot sides thereof, a driveshaft journa ed in the bearing sleeve, a vehicle wheel rotatable withthe drive shaft,- a frame supported on the axle, a power shaftljournaled on the frame, means for transmitting power from the ower shaftto the drive shaft, and a rigio rod connecting the axle and the frameand pivotally mounted at one end to turn concentrically with the powershaft, the rod being bifurcated at its other end with the bifurcationsrotatably `mounted on the bearing sleeve on opposite vsides of the uturned axle end.

2. 'lhe com ination of an axle havin an uptnrned end, a bearing sleevecarrie at the extremity of the unturned .end :indextending on both sidesthereof, a spindle carried by the bearing sleeve, a vehicle wheelournaled on the spindle, a drive shaft jouraled in the bearing sleeveand operatively adjustment; which yieldably oomooe m connected to thevehicle Wheel, o rve Wheel sleeve on opposite sides of the uptuljned 1ov rigid with the drive shaft, a, vehicle frame axle end.,

yieldingly supported on the axle, o power In testimony whereof I ax mysignature haft jonrneled on the vehifcle frollne, means in Vpresenme oftwo Witnesses.

or transmttin oWeln rom me ower o e shaft to the dre IlvheeL and e, mdlsrod HRACE AY "[L'S' mounted at one end on the power shaft, theWitnesses:

rod being bifurceted ai; is other end with Jol-IN F. SCANNELL, thebifurcations mounted on the bearing A.. M. VAN Nuys,

